Coffee With You: Small Town Romance

Chapter Eleven

**Not edited or proofread!**

Drew

Blue lifted his head when I walked through the front door with a bag of takeout from the diner. "Sorry, boy. You know Farrah said you needed to cut back on the human food," I reminded him.

He released a loud groan and laid his head back down with a thump. I snorted.

Overdramatic dog.

I set the bag of takeout on the island in the middle of my kitchen and pulled my phone from my pocket. I was surprised to see two missed calls from Grayson. And they were back to back.

Just as I was about to hit his name to call him back, a third call from him came through. I quickly answered it, already heading back for the door. If he called this many times this fast, something was wrong.

"What's going on?" I demanded to know. Blue followed me out the door, not wanting to be left alone a second time. He bounded into the driver's seat and then crossed over to the passenger when I opened the truck door.

"It's Kaecee. I think she could use you right now. Her parents came here, tried to make her go back with them. She's a mess."

I gritted my teeth. I wanted to know why she hadn't called me herself, but I didn't push it. Kaecee meant everything to me, and if she needed me, I would be there. I just needed to make her understand that.

"I'm on my way," I told him.

I stopped by the grocery store on my way through town and grabbed a premade cake and some icecream, hoping it would help cheer Kaecee up at least a tiny bit. I knew enough about her parents to know that this visit wouldn't have gone smoothly. She'd made it clear where her parents would stand with her move here.

But I wouldn't let them make her leave. She was happy here, and I had plans to spend the rest of my life with Kaecee. They needed to begin to respect her as a fellow adult with the power to make her own decisions instead of just their child to command and direct.

Kaecee deserved the chance to have her own happiness. It wasn't her job to constantly please her parents.

When I pulled up to Grayson's house, he was waiting for me on the porch. "Sorry; only so much of a crying woman I can handle if it's not Farrah." I snorted. Typical Grayson. "She's in the kitchen with Farrah."

I walked past him and headed straight for the kitchen. Both women looked up at me when I walked in. My girl's lips trembled. Her pretty face was tear-stained and red, her eyes swollen and bloodshot. Her cute little nose was the color of a cherry from blowing it so much.

"Come on," I said softly, holding my hand out to her. I was showing her this was her truth to let me be there for her, but it was also a reminder that I was here if she needed me, no matter what.

She stood on shaky legs and placed her hand in mine. I nodded once at Farrah in thanks before gently squeezing Kaecee's hand in mine and leading her out of the ranch house. I pulled open the truck door and grabbed the grocery bag from the floorboard. Blue bounded out as well, and he licked at Kaecee's hand, making a watery smile pull at her lips.

"I'm here, sweetheart," I softly told her as I leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. "And I'm not going anywhere."

"Thank you," she hoarsely whispered as we walked towards the barn. I let Blue go up the stairs first and then Kaecee. She pushed open the door to the loft, and I shut it behind me. "I'm guessing you know what happened?"

"I know they visited," I told her. "Kind of can guess the rest from there."

More tears glistened in her eyes. She dropped down on the edge of her bed, and her shoulders shook. "It shouldn't hurt this much. I should be used to their disapproval. But he was so angry, and my mother, like always, just sat there. She didn't speak up—nothing. She's basically his puppet, and I hate it."